1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a catamaran marine oil drilling production platform apparatus or system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved catamaran oil production apparatus or system that employs spaced apart or catamaran hulls, each of the hulls supporting a truss or frame that spans between the hulls at spaced apart positions wherein one or both of the frames supports an oil drilling or production platform and risers that connect between the seabed and one or both platforms. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved oil production platform apparatus or system for use in a marine environment, wherein spaced apart frames are connected to vessels or hulls in a configuration that spaces the hulls or vessels apart. In one embodiment, the first frame is connected to a first of the hulls with the universal joint and to the second hull with a hinged connection, the second frame connecting to the second hull with a universal joint and to the first hull with a hinged connection. In another embodiment, an oil production facility is supported upon one of the frames, or separate production facilities are supported on different frames. In an alternate embodiment, two gantry structures are supported on two barges or hulls. Each gantry structure provides a large deck area to support production equipment or accommodations to hang risers. The gantries can be supported upon the barges using alternating pivotal and universal joint connections. The system can be moored on location. One or both of the hulls can be used to store oil that flows to the hull or hulls via the risers. In another embodiment, the barges and gantries are connected using roll releases only at the hinged connections, providing for no relative motion between the gantries. This alternate embodiment allows for any number of gantries to be connected to the barge.
2. General Background of the Invention
In general, devices that employ a pair of spaced apart hulls have been patented. Additionally, many marine lifting patents have been issued to Applicant. These and other possibly relevant patents are contained in the following table, the order of listing being of no significance, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
TABLE 1ISSUE DATEPAT. NO.TITLEMM-DD-YYYY485,398Apparatus for Raising Sunken Vessels11-01-1892541,794Apparatus for Raising Sunken Vessels06-25-18951,659,647Sea Crane02-21-19284,714,382Method and Apparatus for the Offshore Installation of 12-22-1987Multi-Ton Prefabricated Deck Packages on PartiallySubmerged Offshore Jacket Foundations5,607,260Method and Apparatus for the Offshore Installation of03-04-1997Multi-Ton Prefabricated Deck Packages on PartiallySubmerged Offshore Jacket Foundations5,609,441Method and Apparatus for the Offshore Installation of03-11-1997Multi-Ton Prefabricated Deck Packages on PartiallySubmerged Offshore Jacket Foundations5,662,434Method and Apparatus for the Offshore Installation of09-02-1997Multi-Ton Prefabricated Deck Packages on PartiallySubmerged Offshore Jacket Foundations5,800,093Method and Apparatus for the Offshore Installation of 09-01-1998Multi-Ton Packages Such as Deck Packages, Jackets, and Sunken Vessels5,975,807Method and Apparatus for the Offshore Installation of11-02-1999Multi-Ton Packages Such as Deck Packages andJackets6,039,506Method and Apparatus for the Offshore Installation of 03-21-2000Multi-Ton Packages Such as Deck Packages and Jackets6,149,350Method and Apparatus for the Offshore Installation of11-21-2000Multi-Ton Packages Such as Deck Packages and Jackets6,318,931Method and Apparatus for the Offshore Installation of 11-20-2001Multi-Ton Packages Such as Deck Packages andJackets6,364,574Method and Apparatus for the Offshore Installation of04-02-2002Multi-Ton Packages Such as Deck Packages and Jackets7,527,006Marine Lifting Apparatus05-05-20097,845,296Marine Lifting Apparatus12-07-20107,886,676Marine Lifting Apparatus02-15-20118,061,289Marine Lifting Apparatus11-22-20118,240,264Marine Lifting Apparatus08-14-20128,683,872Test Weight04-01-20148,960,114Marine Lifting Apparatus02-24-20158,985,040Marine Lifting Apparatus03-24-20159,003,988Marine Lifting Apparatus04-14-2015
The following are hereby incorporated herein by reference: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/686,389, filed 14 Apr. 2015 (published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0291267 on 15 Oct. 2015), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/641,020, filed 22 Feb. 2013 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,003,988 on 14 Apr. 2015), which is a 35 U.S.C. 371 national stage entry application of International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2010/031037, filed 14 Apr. 2010 (published as International Publication No. WO 2011/129822 on 20 Oct. 2011), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/337,305, filed 17 Dec. 2008 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,676 on 15 Feb. 2011), which application claimed priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/014,291, filed 17 Dec. 2007, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Also incorporated herein by reference are the following: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/584,415, filed on 13 Aug. 2012; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/028,011, filed on 15 Feb. 2011 (published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0197799 on 18 Aug. 2011 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,240,264 on 14 Aug. 2012); and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/760,026, filed 14 Apr. 2010 (Published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0263581 on 21 Oct. 2010).